NDTV launches to 'Save The Tiger' campaign

Mumbai, Mar 8 (UNI) NDTV and Sanctuary Asia Magazine have joined hands to launch a mass campaign - 'SAVE THE TIGER' to control the alarming decline in the number of tigers in India.

Through this initiative, NDTV is seeking to collect one million signatures to represent the voice of the masses. The signatures will be presented to the Center and the State governments demanding them to take stringent steps towards saving the endangered species, a release issued here said yesterday.

The campaign urges Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to hold an emergency meeting of the National Board for Wildlife to consider the threat to the tiger, Chief Ministers of every state to establish a protection force for tigers, upgradation of forest guards to the level of police with better compensation, and setting up of an improved intelligence network that is critical to crack poaching, the release said.

NDTV kicked-off the signature campaign by putting up banners and notebooks at various schools across the nation and is also conducting SMS polls and online petitions to reach out to as many people as possible.

Commenting on the enthusiastic response from across the country, NDTV Environment and Wildlife Correspondent Swati Thyagaragan, who is spearheading the Campaign, said, ''Today, there are only around 1400 tigers left in Indian forests. It is extremely critical to create enough public support and awareness to enable to turn this Campaign into a powerful movement. I am confident our Campaign will gain enough momentum to force the government to take greater responsibility to save the tiger from the brink of extinction.'' Apart from nationwide public support, the campaign is also being backed by celebrities, well-known environmentalists and NGOs. Electricities Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, John Abraham, Kareena Kapoor, Preity Zinta and Farhan Akhtar, Rahul Dravid, Rajyavardhan Rathore, environmentalists and conservationists like Sanctuary Magazine Editor Bittu Sahgal and the Kids for Tiger Group have come out to support this movement.

The Campaign has planned an event tomorrow - 'INDIA SIGNS ON TO SAVE THE TIGER'. People from all walks of life will gather at famous landmark in their city and sign a petition to save the tigers. Citizens can also log onto www.ndtv.com to contribute to this cause by signing an online petition.

The Centers for the event are India Gate at Delhi, Gateway of India here, Cubbon Park in Bangalore, Prinsep Memorial at Kolkata and others, the release added.